Kindness Has Fangs: A Q&A with Cate Greener, Author & Illustrator of NORM

What happens when the world's least frightening vampire develops a terrible toothache?

In NORM, author and illustrator Cate Greener introduces readers to an unforgettable character who turns every vampire stereotype upside down. Packed with laugh-out-loud moments, wonderfully quirky illustrations and clever rhyming verse, this delightfully gothic tale proves that appearances can be wonderfully deceptive.

Behind the humour lies a heartfelt story about kindness, honesty, loneliness, friendship and discovering where you truly belong. We caught up with Cate to chat about the inspiration behind her lovable vampire, creating both the words and illustrations, and why dark stories can often carry the brightest messages.

Norm is unlike any vampire readers are likely to have met before! Where did the idea for this gentle, gardening, crossword-loving vampire first come from?

I honestly can’t recall… I’ve always been drawn to the underdog, the misunderstood misfit. My favourite novel is Dracula. Since I was a little girl, Whitby has always been a magical place for me to visit… So much so that I actually got married there last year. I loved the idea of a vegetarian vampire, so the idea grew from that!

Your stories have a wonderfully gothic feel, but they're always filled with warmth and humour. What is it that draws you to writing slightly spooky stories for children?

As a child, that’s what I loved to read. I was a goosebumps kid! I went to an author talk with Anne Fine, and she gave me some gold advice – write for yourself at that age. So, I write the dark, funny stories with memorable characters I would have loved as a kid.

You both write and illustrate your books. Which usually comes first—the characters and story, or the images that bring them to life?

The story always comes first. I write it, then leave it alone for a while. When it’s time to illustrate, I come back to it with the eyes of my inner child, fall in love with it all over again, and imagine what the characters should look like. Then I draw them.

Although NORM is packed with hilarious moments, it also explores loneliness, honesty, forgiveness and finding friendship. Were those themes always part of the story from the beginning?

Honesty and forgiveness were always themes I was keen to explore, but discovering friendship became an unexpected bonus…for both Norm and me!

The relationship between Norm and the dentist develops in such an unexpected way. Did you always know how their story would end, or did it evolve as you were writing?

It honestly evolved as I was writing it.

The illustrations have a distinctive monochrome style with striking flashes of red that perfectly suit the gothic atmosphere. How did you develop the visual style for this book?

Since illustrating my first book, The Shadow Over Christmas, I’ve drawn every day, and over time I’ve developed a style that feels distinctly my own. Inspired by artists such as Quentin Blake and Tim Burton, I was naturally drawn to pen and ink. I found that adding carefully chosen splashes of colour gave both the monochrome illustrations and the colour itself greater impact.

I usually limit my palette to just two or three colours, but for Norm I restricted it to a single colour: red. As he’s a vampire, it felt like the perfect choice, and I wanted the blood to really stand out.

Readers who enjoyed Nosy Rosey and the Witch will recognise your signature humour. Do you see NORM as part of the same storytelling world, or is it something completely different?

Absolutely! It belongs in the same library… a world of mischief, magic, and a delicious bite of the macabre.

As both an author and illustrator, what has been the most rewarding part of creating children's books from start to finish yourself?

Being able to share my imagination and bring smiles and laughter to others. It all begins with an idea that makes me smile, and there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing that same smile spread across someone else’s face. Watching a child hold a physical copy of my story, filled with characters I’ve brought to life, and hearing them giggle out loud is a feeling that’s hard to put into words.

If children could take away just one message after reading NORM, what would you hope stays with them long after they've turned the final page?

To celebrate the fact that we’re all different. To embrace what makes you you… the wonderfully unique things that make you special, and to enjoy them. A true friend will love you for the little weirdo you are! And always be honest. Even when it feels like the hardest thing to do, it’s almost always the right thing.

Finally, what's next for you? Are there more wonderfully peculiar characters waiting to make their way into your stories?

Oh, I’ve got lots of stories hiding up these sleeves… Some titles I can tease you with are ‘Princess Frank’, ‘Imagine Ian’ and ‘OOB!’